Progress at last appears to be in the works on putting a stop to pollution from the Tulsequah Chief, a transboundary mine in British Columbia that hasn’t operated in over 60 years.
According to Alaska Department of Natural Resources spokesman Kyle Mosell the recent release of a remediation plan by the British Columbia officials is a huge step forward.
Mosell’s office, as well as officials with the Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission in Sitka, have been in steady contact with provincial officials in an effort to halt pollution flowing into the Tulsequah River, which flows into the Taku River, a major salmon habitat flowing into Southeast Alaska.
“The release of the remediation plan, a conceptual plan, is a huge milestone in the process,” Mosell said. “Now they have a plan that needs to be informed by more field work over the next couple of years. They deserve tremendous credit for getting to that point,” he said.
Fred Olsen Jr, executive director of the Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission in Sitka, is somewhat less optimistic.
“It’s a difference of perspective,” said Olsen. He noted that despite the commitment from the BC government to spend up to $1.6 million for site preparation and studies to support early reclamation work at the mine site that the acid drainage into the transboundary waterway continues. “Hopefully something happens in three to five years that we can say ‘oh good, for the first time in 80 years the mine is not polluting the Taku watershed,’ but that remains to be seen,” he said.
The mine, currently owned by Chieftain Metals, Ltd., which acquired the property in 2010, was placed in receivership in September of 2016. Shortly thereafter inspectors from the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, and a member of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation inspected the mine site. They found numerous non-compliance issues, ranging from no caretaker on site to drainage and maintenance issues at the sediment pond and unsecured storage of chemicals. Provincial government officials hired a contractor to properly secure all chemicals on site and in 2017 physical work at the site was done to mitigate risks at the exfiltration pond.
The BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources has posted its Tulsequah Chief Mine Closure and Reclamation Plan online at https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/air-land-water/site-permitting-and-compliance/tulsequah/remediation_plan_tulsequah_chief_mine_site_for_distribution.pdf
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
Snow Crab Quotas Rise as Bristol Bay Red King Quotas Continue Decline
Alaska’s 2020-2021 commercial crab fisheries get underway on Oct. 15, with a total allowable catch of 45 million pounds of Bering Sea snow crab, up from 34 million pounds in 2019.
The allowable catch in the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery meanwhile has slipped from 3.4 million pounds a year ago to 2.6 million pounds for the upcoming season.
The Western Bering Sea Tanner crab fishery has a total allowable catch of 2.348 million pounds, but the Eastern Bering Sea Tanner crab fishery will remain closed.
The allowable quotas are determined each year based on stock assessment analysis of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and National Marine Fisheries Service.
Based on those analyses the Pribilof District red and blue king crab seasons, as well as the Saint Matthew Island blue king crab season will remain closed.
Right now the market is good for king crab and snow crab as well, said Jake Jacobsen, executive director of Seattle’s Inter-Cooperative Exchange, the largest cooperative of Bering Sea crab harvesters. In advance of those first harvests, Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle is advertising previously frozen Alaska king crab legs and claws for $49.99 a pound, five pounds for $279.99 and 20 pounds for $854.99.
According to Jamie Goen, executive director of Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers, the trade association representing harvesters of king, opilio (snow) and bairdi (Tanner) crab in the Bering Sea, the big concern in this year’s crab fisheries is how to operate their businesses safely during the global novel coronavirus pandemic, to keep safe both harvesters on their fishing vessels and communities they come into. “We fish in the toughest weather, and with COVID there are additional precautions,” she said.
“We are incredibly grateful that we have fisheries we can conduct,” said Goen, adding that she is usually at Dutch Harbor at this time of the year, but in Seattle instead this year because of the pandemic.
With the snow crab and Tanner crab quotas up, and red king crab quota down, people are going to have to decide on their own whether they will fish or not, she said. Some boats owners have said they will go out even with a lower TAC (total allowable catch) to keep their crews employed.
“Once you get good crew, you want to hang on to them, especially with COVID” she said.
Other vessels owners will choose to barter, with one holding out for snow crab and another for red king crab, she said.
The allowable catch in the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery meanwhile has slipped from 3.4 million pounds a year ago to 2.6 million pounds for the upcoming season.
The Western Bering Sea Tanner crab fishery has a total allowable catch of 2.348 million pounds, but the Eastern Bering Sea Tanner crab fishery will remain closed.
The allowable quotas are determined each year based on stock assessment analysis of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and National Marine Fisheries Service.
Based on those analyses the Pribilof District red and blue king crab seasons, as well as the Saint Matthew Island blue king crab season will remain closed.
Right now the market is good for king crab and snow crab as well, said Jake Jacobsen, executive director of Seattle’s Inter-Cooperative Exchange, the largest cooperative of Bering Sea crab harvesters. In advance of those first harvests, Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle is advertising previously frozen Alaska king crab legs and claws for $49.99 a pound, five pounds for $279.99 and 20 pounds for $854.99.
According to Jamie Goen, executive director of Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers, the trade association representing harvesters of king, opilio (snow) and bairdi (Tanner) crab in the Bering Sea, the big concern in this year’s crab fisheries is how to operate their businesses safely during the global novel coronavirus pandemic, to keep safe both harvesters on their fishing vessels and communities they come into. “We fish in the toughest weather, and with COVID there are additional precautions,” she said.
“We are incredibly grateful that we have fisheries we can conduct,” said Goen, adding that she is usually at Dutch Harbor at this time of the year, but in Seattle instead this year because of the pandemic.
With the snow crab and Tanner crab quotas up, and red king crab quota down, people are going to have to decide on their own whether they will fish or not, she said. Some boats owners have said they will go out even with a lower TAC (total allowable catch) to keep their crews employed.
“Once you get good crew, you want to hang on to them, especially with COVID” she said.
Other vessels owners will choose to barter, with one holding out for snow crab and another for red king crab, she said.
Legislators Challenge Alaska Governor’s Role in Promoting Pebble Mine
Two legislators are challenging the role of Alaska’s governor in trying to secure a federal Clean Water Act permit for the proposed Pebble mine in Southwest Alaska. Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, an independent from Dillingham, and Rep. Louise Stutes, a Republican from Kodiak, wrote to Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Sept. 29, asking him not to stand with the Pebble Limited Partnership in its effort to secure that permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The letter came in the wake of the release of video tapes in which the chief executive officer of the PLP boasted about his influence with state and federal officials in getting the mine approved. The CEO, Tom Collier, has since resigned.
Edgmon and Stutes contend that the Dunleavy administration is working directly with the PLP and its parent company, Northern Dynasty Minerals, of Vancouver, Canada, on a compensatory mitigation plan for the mine that would implicate uses and activities on state lands in the Bristol Bay watershed, home of the world’s largest run of wild sockeye salmon.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers advised the PLP on Aug. 20 that they have 90 days to provide a compensatory mitigation plan for the proposed mine, after which the corps will review that plan, and if complete, post it to the Pebble project EIS (environmental impact statement) website, https://www.pebbleprojecteis.com. The legislators said a major concern is that the proposed mine stands to have severe adverse impacts on the commercial, sport and subsistence fisheries the run provides for
. These fisheries, they told Dunleavy, have been possible because of the careful stewardship, as the people of that region have done for thousands of years. They also reminded the governor that the Alaska Legislature has a role in whether the proposed mine should receive state permits and whether permanent preservation of over 650 acres of state land to advance the mine project is appropriate.
Dunleavy fired back on Tuesday, Oct. 6, saying it is his duty as governor to create economic opportunity for the benefit of all Alaskans. In addition to the economic benefits, he said in his letter to Edgmon and Stutes, mineral development in Alaska has the potential to improve national security. He insisted that the best available science would determine whether the project would go forward.
The governor also questioned the economic impact of the famed Bristol Bay salmon fishery, saying it is not a year-round operation and that only 25 percent of the Bristol Bay permit holders lived in the region. He did not comment on the issue of the Alaska Legislature’s role in the permitting process.
Edgmon and Stutes contend that the Dunleavy administration is working directly with the PLP and its parent company, Northern Dynasty Minerals, of Vancouver, Canada, on a compensatory mitigation plan for the mine that would implicate uses and activities on state lands in the Bristol Bay watershed, home of the world’s largest run of wild sockeye salmon.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers advised the PLP on Aug. 20 that they have 90 days to provide a compensatory mitigation plan for the proposed mine, after which the corps will review that plan, and if complete, post it to the Pebble project EIS (environmental impact statement) website, https://www.pebbleprojecteis.com. The legislators said a major concern is that the proposed mine stands to have severe adverse impacts on the commercial, sport and subsistence fisheries the run provides for
. These fisheries, they told Dunleavy, have been possible because of the careful stewardship, as the people of that region have done for thousands of years. They also reminded the governor that the Alaska Legislature has a role in whether the proposed mine should receive state permits and whether permanent preservation of over 650 acres of state land to advance the mine project is appropriate.
Dunleavy fired back on Tuesday, Oct. 6, saying it is his duty as governor to create economic opportunity for the benefit of all Alaskans. In addition to the economic benefits, he said in his letter to Edgmon and Stutes, mineral development in Alaska has the potential to improve national security. He insisted that the best available science would determine whether the project would go forward.
The governor also questioned the economic impact of the famed Bristol Bay salmon fishery, saying it is not a year-round operation and that only 25 percent of the Bristol Bay permit holders lived in the region. He did not comment on the issue of the Alaska Legislature’s role in the permitting process.
California Based Coast Guard Crew Seizes 6,700 Pounds of Cocaine Worth $115M
The Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf returned home to Alameda, California, on Oct. 3, after a three- month multi-mission patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean resulting in confiscation of 6,700 pounds of cocaine worth over $115 million.
The crew also patrolled over 3,000 square nautical miles of Ecuadorian and international waters during a joint patrol with the Ecuadorian Navy to detect and deter illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the area of the Galapagos Islands. The Bertholf and the Ecuadorian naval vessel LAE Isla San Cristobal provided persistent presence and surveillance of fishing activity throughout the region during the week-long mission.
Coast Guard officials said that following the two-month multi-mission Eastern Pacific patrol, Bertholf offloaded over 26,000 pounds of cocaine on Sept. 10 in San Diego, an accumulation from multiple U.S. ships conducting counter narcotic operations in the Eastern Pacific.
Coast Guard officials said the mission highlights a Coast Guard partnership with Ecuador to ensure compliance with international maritime laws for fishing. Capt. Brian Anderson, commanding officer of the Bertholf, said it was a unique opportunity to sail with the Ecuadorian Navy, one that demonstrates the effectiveness and importance of international partnerships.
Following their patrol, the more than 150 crew members aboard the Bertholf began a three-week Tailored Ship Training Assessment (TSTA) in San Diego. The assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of the crew’s capabilities to respond to a variety of scenarios from rescuing a person overboard to battling fires aboard ship.
To ensure their safety during a global pandemic, the crew of the Bertholf conducted pre-deployment COVID-19 testing, following a 14-day quarantine and a second round of testing.
The crew kept social distancing under results of the second test came back negative. Then throughout their patrol, the crew maintained strict health precautions in all interactions with the public and during boardings and underwent intensive decontamination procedures after each boarding.
The crew also patrolled over 3,000 square nautical miles of Ecuadorian and international waters during a joint patrol with the Ecuadorian Navy to detect and deter illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the area of the Galapagos Islands. The Bertholf and the Ecuadorian naval vessel LAE Isla San Cristobal provided persistent presence and surveillance of fishing activity throughout the region during the week-long mission.
Coast Guard officials said that following the two-month multi-mission Eastern Pacific patrol, Bertholf offloaded over 26,000 pounds of cocaine on Sept. 10 in San Diego, an accumulation from multiple U.S. ships conducting counter narcotic operations in the Eastern Pacific.
Coast Guard officials said the mission highlights a Coast Guard partnership with Ecuador to ensure compliance with international maritime laws for fishing. Capt. Brian Anderson, commanding officer of the Bertholf, said it was a unique opportunity to sail with the Ecuadorian Navy, one that demonstrates the effectiveness and importance of international partnerships.
Following their patrol, the more than 150 crew members aboard the Bertholf began a three-week Tailored Ship Training Assessment (TSTA) in San Diego. The assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of the crew’s capabilities to respond to a variety of scenarios from rescuing a person overboard to battling fires aboard ship.
To ensure their safety during a global pandemic, the crew of the Bertholf conducted pre-deployment COVID-19 testing, following a 14-day quarantine and a second round of testing.
The crew kept social distancing under results of the second test came back negative. Then throughout their patrol, the crew maintained strict health precautions in all interactions with the public and during boardings and underwent intensive decontamination procedures after each boarding.
Economic Report Shows COVID Pandemic’s Impact on Value of Alaska Seafood Harvest
An economic report prepared for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute says that while the harvest volume was not significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic that the overall impact of the virus weakened the harvest value.
Economists with the McDowell Group said that a roughly 50 percent drop in the Bristol Bay base sockeye price is a prominent example, along with lower halibut values.
McDowell Group economists also said that anecdotally flatfish and Pacific cod harvest values have declined, while Pollock prices are stable. Key reasons for weaker harvest value, they said, include higher operating costs, less value-added production, reduced demand due to foodservice closures, and general market uncertainty.
All sectors of the seafood industry have reported higher operating costs directly related to reducing the risk of the novel coronavirus from spreading to coastal fishing communities, as well as fishermen and those working in the processing sector. Interviews with processors, the report said, indicate at least $50 million has been spent so far, including inshore and offshore sectors. That total is expected to rise due to testing requirements and continuation of virus-related protocols in 2020 and 2021, the report said. Meanwhile harvesters, local governments and other stakeholders are reporting their own extra expenses directly related to maintaining operations during the pandemic.
Increased transportation costs attributable to the pandemic include the challenges of reduced passenger flights and air freight capacity this past summer, which led to challenges getting fresh salmon to markets in the Lower 48 states. Exports to China were also delayed due to increased port inspection requirements. The report also cited the bankruptcy of Ravn Airlines, which exacerbated problems associated with transporting processor workers, fishermen and support personnel in coastal communities of western Alaska.
Economists with the McDowell Group said that a roughly 50 percent drop in the Bristol Bay base sockeye price is a prominent example, along with lower halibut values.
McDowell Group economists also said that anecdotally flatfish and Pacific cod harvest values have declined, while Pollock prices are stable. Key reasons for weaker harvest value, they said, include higher operating costs, less value-added production, reduced demand due to foodservice closures, and general market uncertainty.
All sectors of the seafood industry have reported higher operating costs directly related to reducing the risk of the novel coronavirus from spreading to coastal fishing communities, as well as fishermen and those working in the processing sector. Interviews with processors, the report said, indicate at least $50 million has been spent so far, including inshore and offshore sectors. That total is expected to rise due to testing requirements and continuation of virus-related protocols in 2020 and 2021, the report said. Meanwhile harvesters, local governments and other stakeholders are reporting their own extra expenses directly related to maintaining operations during the pandemic.
Increased transportation costs attributable to the pandemic include the challenges of reduced passenger flights and air freight capacity this past summer, which led to challenges getting fresh salmon to markets in the Lower 48 states. Exports to China were also delayed due to increased port inspection requirements. The report also cited the bankruptcy of Ravn Airlines, which exacerbated problems associated with transporting processor workers, fishermen and support personnel in coastal communities of western Alaska.
Coast Guard Extends Mariner Credentials Endorsements
U.S. Coast Guard officials are taking steps to extend mariner credentials, medical certificates and course approvals due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
They are advising, however, that these measures may cause a backlog in processing of credentials and course approvals, especially near the end of the extension dates, and urge mariners and training providers to fulfill requirements and submit applications as early as possible to avoid a lapse in credential or training approval.
Merchant mariner credentials and STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) expiring between March 1 and Dec. 31 have been extended until the earlier of June 30, 2021 or one year after the initial expiration date of that credential.
The expiration date for national medical certificates and STCW medical certificates with a national expiration date between March 1 and Sept. 30 has been extended until Dec. 31, 2020. All mariners actively working on expired medical certificates that meet extension criteria are required to carry the expired credential with a copy of the extension notice.
Coast Guard officials also said that they do not intend to enforce, through Dec. 31, a requirement that pilots undergo an annual physical exam each year while holding a credential given the pandemic and its impact on health care providers With the exception of Monitoring Unit Guam, all regional exam centers and monitoring units are open for limited examination services only, with reduced seating capacity.
Course and program approvals set to expire between Jan 1 and Dec. 31 are extended for six months from their current expiration date. In recognition of the regional exam centers and monitoring units being closed to the public, approval to test letters and course completion certificates that expired between March 1 and Dec. 31 are now extended through Oct. 1, 2021. Additional guidance on these extensions and other related administrative measures will be posted online at https://www.uscg.mil/nmc/. Other options include contacting the NMC Customer Service Center by using the NMC online chat system, by e-mailing IASKNMC@uscg.mil, or by calling 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).
They are advising, however, that these measures may cause a backlog in processing of credentials and course approvals, especially near the end of the extension dates, and urge mariners and training providers to fulfill requirements and submit applications as early as possible to avoid a lapse in credential or training approval.
Merchant mariner credentials and STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) expiring between March 1 and Dec. 31 have been extended until the earlier of June 30, 2021 or one year after the initial expiration date of that credential.
The expiration date for national medical certificates and STCW medical certificates with a national expiration date between March 1 and Sept. 30 has been extended until Dec. 31, 2020. All mariners actively working on expired medical certificates that meet extension criteria are required to carry the expired credential with a copy of the extension notice.
Coast Guard officials also said that they do not intend to enforce, through Dec. 31, a requirement that pilots undergo an annual physical exam each year while holding a credential given the pandemic and its impact on health care providers With the exception of Monitoring Unit Guam, all regional exam centers and monitoring units are open for limited examination services only, with reduced seating capacity.
Course and program approvals set to expire between Jan 1 and Dec. 31 are extended for six months from their current expiration date. In recognition of the regional exam centers and monitoring units being closed to the public, approval to test letters and course completion certificates that expired between March 1 and Dec. 31 are now extended through Oct. 1, 2021. Additional guidance on these extensions and other related administrative measures will be posted online at https://www.uscg.mil/nmc/. Other options include contacting the NMC Customer Service Center by using the NMC online chat system, by e-mailing IASKNMC@uscg.mil, or by calling 1-888-IASKNMC (427-5662).
The Home Stretch
2020 has been an incredibly challenging year for all of us in the maritime industry. Ports saw volumes slashed (then recover); international cruise lines are still effectively shut down; mariners are still stranded on ships with tours extended beyond a year; the only bright spot seems to be that boat sales are up, which hopefully gets more kids interested in working on the water when they grow up! There could not be much more of a perfect storm – I would prefer the hurricane variety any day (I spent a terrifying 2 days at sea going through Hurricane Hugo back in 1989, but at least I knew there was an end in sight).
Now I am the eternal optimist, and I have enduring faith in the capacity of the human spirit to persevere in the face of adversity. Human ingenuity will solve all of the COVID 19 issues. The timeline for those solutions will likely come more slowly than any of us would like, but they will come. The pace at which we are seeing vaccine developments, rapid testing methods and therapeutic treatments is truly impressive given historic norms. We need more government action to help our industry get back to pre-COVID operational levels, and your voices need to be heard by your elected officials with ideas of how government action (or lack thereof) can impact your segment of the maritime industry.
2020 has given us some positives – more time with family, reconnecting with friends, mastering the video call and time to work on projects at work that we never seem to be able to get to. Like I said, I’m an optimist. 2020 gave me the opportunity to communicate with you, our readers of PMM On Line and Fishermen’s News On Line. For that I am very grateful. But my dear 2020, when that clock strikes midnight on December 31st, don’t let the door hit you in the rear on the way out!
Dave
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